1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus that can take a picture of a subject. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus of vertical shape that an operator can operate with a single hand.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most of conventional capturing devices such as a digital camera have a horizontal shape. Although there are a lot of vertical digital video cameras, they are designed to be operated by a right-handed person. Thus, it is difficult for a left-handed person to operate such vertical digital cameras.
Moreover, the number of operation switches provided on the image capturing apparatus has been increased as the image capturing apparatus come to have more functions. This makes the operation of the image capturing apparatus complicated, thus causing the operator not to operate the image capturing apparatus easily, and sometimes wrong operations by the operator may happen.
In order to avoid the wrong operations by the operator, a digital camera and a digital video camera have been proposed that includes a cover for covering a part of the structure, for example, an operation panel and an image monitor. Such a cover is also effective for preventing the digital camera or the like from being damaged. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-65943, for example, discloses a video camera having a slidable cover for covering some of the operation switches. However, the slidable cover does not cover all the operation switches provided with the video camera. Therefore, there still remains the possibility that a certain operation button or switch may be depressed erroneously while the digital camera or the video camera is not in use and, in the worst case, the digital camera or the video camera may be damaged.